ABIDING
"Abide in Me, and I in you, saith the Lord, For only as you abide in Me, and let Me abide in you can you fulfill that which I require. And what does it mean to abide in Me? It means to remain in that position in which I have placed you; for it is a place and a position of rest from your own striving, and a place of security from all the devices of the enemy. For I would not have you strive in your own strength, neither would I have you fight your own battles; for I have made provision for thee, if thou wilt trust in Me and abide in Me. For if you will abide or rest in Me, I will protect thee and strengthen thee, saith the Lord.
"To abide means to trust. Are you not willing to believe that I have made provision for all that you need to live a victorious and overcoming Christian life? Have I not made known My love to thee in that I have given My life for thee? If then I have provided for thy salvation, am I not able to preserve thee and keep thee and protect thee as thou dost abide and trust in Me? For I am thy protection and thy covering. Thou hast been provided a home, a resting place in Me, and as one lies down in rest and security in his physical home, so do I want My people to abide, to rest, and rely on Me. For I am thy dwelling place. I have made provision for all of thy needs, if thou wilt put thy trust in Me, and let Me cover thee, and protect thee.
"And if you abide in Me, will I not also abide in thee? I will take up My abode in thee, and through My Word and My Spirit I will remain in thee, and will perfect Myself in thee. For I am thy life and thy strength, but only as I abide in thee can I do that which I purpose in thy life. Therefore, study My Word, and seek My face daily, spending much time in praise and adoration. For only as you seek Me diligently can I fully abide in thee to do My perfecting.
"And now you can see why I say abide in Me, and let Me abide in you; for this is the secret of the effective and victorious Christian life. For I have made a home for thee in Me, and this is thy protection and security; and I have made My home in thee, and this is thy strength and vitality. Therefore, see and understand; by faith and trust you abide in Me, and by My Word and Spirit I abide in you; both are necessary. For only as you abide in Me can I have free reign to abide in thee. Abiding in Me comes first, and then I can abide in thee; for the initiative is with thee.
"I am able to work in thee only to the degree that you submit to, and trust, and rest in Me. I have made a home for you in Me, but if you do not abide there, how can I bring to pass that which I purpose? For when you worry and strive and try to work out everything yourself, and when you try to fight your own battles, you are , in effect, separating yourself from Me, and going outside of that protection and security which I have provided for you. You are exposing yourself to the enemy's attacks, and you are unable to overcome because you are not taking advantage of that which I have provided. When you accepted Me, and were born of my Spirit, I placed you in a position of absolute protection from all of the wiles of the enemy; I placed you in Me. And do you think that the enemy can get through Me? I say not! But you fail to abide and rest in Me in complete confidence and trust; you in effect go outside of Me and expose yourself to all of the attacks of the enemy. I am not able to protect thee because I must have your cooperation. If you refuse to stay where I have placed you, how can I defend you? If you take things into your own hands, and try to fight the enemy yourself, then I am powerless to come to your aid. It is only as you look to Me with complete confidence and faith that I am able to act on your behalf. There, trust Me, My people, and abide in that perfect resting place which I have provided. For in Me there is complete deliverance and protection from all that the enemy would send against thee.
"And now consider further, to abide in Me is necessary for thy protection, but to finish and complete that work which I have begun in thee it is necessary for Me to abide in thee. Now, I am perfectly willing to do this, but again I am limited by your willingness to let Me abide in you. I can abide only insofar as there is a complete yielding unto Me, and a continual seeking of My will for you. Only as you study My Word and meditate upon its precepts; only as you spend much time thinking of My ways and praising Me with your whole heart, desiring to commune with Me at all times, can I truly abide in you as I desire, and perfect My work in you. For if you will truly seek Me and commit your ways unto Me, I will be faithful to abide in thee, and perfect My work in thee. You will find that as I am able to abide in thee, I am also able to perfect in thee all that I am. For I abide in thee to impart to thee that which is My own nature, for I would bring unto your innermost being My life, My joy, and My peace. I would impart to thee that meekness and gentleness which is a part of My being. I would infuse unto thee My holiness, and My righteousness, that you might be fully clothed and ready for the wedding which will take place when I gather My own unto Myself.
"So, My people, will ye not learn that which I am seeking to teach you? Abide, do not strive. Trust, do not doubt. Surrender, do not be unyielding. Put thy full confidence in Me, and find that perfect resting place, and that place of complete protection which I have provided for you. And then let Me fully abide in thee, and possess thy every thought and desire. For surely you will find that I am the fullness of thy joy, and the fullness of thy peace, imparting unto thee the fullness of all that I am, and making thee into the perfection of My being." (end of prophecy)